Julia Child’s Best-Ever Brownies

If you are unaware, today, August 15th, Julia Child was born! Today would have been her 100th birthday!! Happy Birthday!!

Everyone has been encouraged to bake or cook to honor her this month. Earlier in the month I did so by making Julia’s French Apple Tart, if you have never made one..what are you waiting for?? It’s delicious!

Now, today in celebration of her actual 100th birthday, I decided to make her best-ever brownies! That is quite a thing to live up to. I hear people say stuff is the best-ever all the time in the baking world. Sometimes I agree, other times…not so much.

I have to tell you, I usually use the Hershey’s Best Brownie recipe when I have the desire to make brownies for my love! Then I thought to myself the other night, Julia MUST have a to-die-for brownie recipe somewhere!

Now that I’ve made them, even ate one myself…I can tell you they are the best ever brownies!! They taste so good & chocolatey amazing. It is now my go-to brownie recipe, forever!

I will tell you I made a minor adjustment to the baking time. The recipe states these are very gooey and to bake them just till they are set, around 23 minutes. While some people may like that, we are not those people. I baked mine for approximately 35-40 minutes. I checked with a toothpick, when it came out clean, I was happy and took them out.

"Those who are passionate about brownies argue in defense of their favorite type, cakey or fudgey. If you're a cakey fan, go on to another recipe. These are the epitome of soft, dark baked-just-until-barely-set brownies. Their creamy texture makes them seem wildly luxurious and very much a treat to be meted out in small servings (just small enough for a scoop of ice cream and some chocolate sauce). The mixing method is unorthodox for a brownie. Half of an egg-sugar mixture is stirred into the melted chocolate and butter, while the other half is whipped until it thickens and doubles in volume. The lightened eggs are folded into the chocolate with a delicate touch, as are the dry ingredients--tricks that enhance the brownies' lovely texture."

Ingredients

1¼ Cups Sifted Flour

1 teaspoon Salt

8 ounces Unsalted Butter

4 ounces Unsweetened Chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 Cups Sugar

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

4 Large Eggs, room temperature

Instructions

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°.

Sift the flour and salt together; set aside.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently and keeping a watchful eye on the pot to make certain the chocolate doesn't scorch (Alternatively, you can melt the ingredients in the top of a double boiler over, not touching, simmering water.) Add 1 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir for half a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the mixture into a large bowl.

Put the remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs into a bowl and mix or whisk by hand just to combine.

Little by little, pour half of the sugar and eggs into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently but constantly with a rubber spatula so that the eggs don't set from the heat.

Fit the whisk attachment to the mixer and whip the remaining sugar and eggs until they are thick, pale, and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes.

Using the rubber spatula, delicately fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture.

When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients.

Pour and scrape the batter in to an unbuttered 9-inch square pan.

Bake the brownies for 22-26 minutes, during which time they will rise a little and the top will turn dark and dry.

Cut into the center at about the 22-minute mark to see how the brownies are progressing: they'll be perfect if they're just barely set and still pretty gooey.

They're still awfully good on the other side of set, so don't worry if you miss the moment on your first try.

Cool the brownies in the pan on a rack.

Notes

Feel free to use a brownie pan, fill each cavity half full.
Bake less (23 minutes) for gooey brownies or (30-40 minutes) for a firmer center but still delicious!!

Comments

I have made her brownie recipe before and it is so easy and seamless that I have stopped buying the boxed mixes and whip this up after dinner if I’m craving a fluffy chocolate brownie great job and great post!Alice recently posted..Julia Child’s Cool Summer Vichyssoise

I need to make these. When decided what to make in her honor, I almost made these brownies, but went with the mousse. Love the look of your brownies.Katrina recently posted..Julia Child’s Chocolate Mousse